Pizza rolls with beans, kale and olives

Pizza is a favourite and a stable in our home. It’s always Ben who makes it, though he will ususally get Eva to help with adding the toppings. I don’t think I ever attempted to make us a pizza. Pizza rolls (or pizza snails) on the other hand, is something I’ve made on several occasions, but now Eva has reached an age (2 years old) where foods like pizza rolls and other miniature foods are simply the best thing ever, I’ve decided to make them more often.

I grew up making them with cheese and ham, but since we don’t prepare meat at home anymore or consume any dairy products I wanted to make a plantbased version – and one that would be both filling, nutritious and tasty at the same time. And I have to say, if solely judging by how many Eva and Ben ate I pulled it off quite well.

The pizza rolls freeze quite well and I have made half a batch for the freezer as part of our plan to fill the freezer with easy to grab foods and meals for the first few weeks after the baby comes. We have a very small freezer, so that’s why I only made half a batch for the freezer. But don’ worry – the other half didn’t go to waste. It was eaten so fast that I’m glad I’d frozen the others before I told Ben and Eva I made pizza rolls.

You’ll need (makes about 18-20 rolls)

The dough

25 grams (about 0,9 ounces) fresh yeast

2,5 dl (about 1,1 cup) luke warm water

2,5 dl (about 1,1 cup) wholewheat flour

4 dl (about 1,7 cup) plain white flour

1 teaspoon salt

The tomato and bean sauce

200 grams (about 0,7 ounces) tomato pure

1 leaf of kale – this could also be substituted with 1-2 big handfulds of spinach or another leafy green

1 can of beans (240 grams / 8,4 ounces) – I used kidney beans in this recipe, but you can use whatever you have

1 dl (about 0,4 cup) olives

2-3 cloves of garlic

Optional: a handfuld of fresh basil leafs

Optional: about 30 grams (about 1 ounce) of dried tomatoes

The filling

As much dried oregano as you like

Optional: 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Optoinal: 4 big mushrooms chopped up finely – or you could use whatever you have like 50 grams (about 1,8 ounces) of corn, 50 grams (about 1,8 ounces) of tofu or a handful of spinach

How to:

1. Make the dough and let it rise for 1 hour.

Add the yeast and the water to a bowl and stir until mixed well. Add the flour and salt and knead well.

2. Make the tomato and bean sauce.

Whille the dough rises make the sauce. Add the tomato puree, beans, kale, olives, garlic, basil leafs and dried tomatoes to a big bowl and blend it well with a hand blender or a food processor, so there’re no big lumps. I don’t think a normal blender would work well as the tomato and bean sauce is quite thick.

3. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees celsius.

4. Knead the dough and roll it out on the table in a rectangle.

The dough should be rolled out in an even rectangle as flat as you can without the dough breaking. Use a rolling pin.

5. Spread out the sauce and add the fillings.

The sauce should be spread out evenly though try to leave one of the long edges sauce-less with about 1 cm. This just makes it easier when you have to close the rolls. Don’t panic if you forget.

Add your fillings of choice.

6. Make the rolls.

Starting at one of the long sides, gently roll the dough into a long “sausage” (see photo). When you’ve rolled it all up carefully cut the sausage into pieces. I made them about 1,5 cm which gave me 18 pieces. Use a sharp knife.

Move the pieces onto a backing sheet. They can be a bit tricky to move so use a spatula if needed. Gently press them flat with the spatula, smear a little oil on top and drizzle with dried oregano.

7.Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Keep an eye out for the rolls. They might be done a bit sooner depending on your oven. They’re done when they’ve turned a bit golden on top and the dough seems to be baked thorugh.